


We'll Meet Again

by MasterHuntressJessBlack



Category: Firewatch (Video Game)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:22:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29809749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MasterHuntressJessBlack/pseuds/MasterHuntressJessBlack
Summary: Sometimes, it's good to move foreword.
Relationships: Henry/Julia (Firewatch)
Kudos: 2





	We'll Meet Again

Henry felt… empty. The helicopter ride felt like ages, he watched the fire as they flew to the drop off point. Alone once again when they landed. The helicopter flew off to go pick up the other's. He could finally breathe easier now that he wasn't surrounded by the thick smoke that filled the air. He wondered what Delilah was up to, he thought about how she promised to stay and yet left him anyways. They've been through a lot together these last few months and all he wanted to do was see the face of the person he became fast friends with. 

His walkie gave a sound as her voice came through it, "Well? What are you gonna do after this summer?" He blinked at the statement, not sure how to answer. "You there?" She began again. He clicked the button, "Uh, yeah. I really don't know." "Are you gonna visit her?" He knew that she was trying to help him with the Julia situation but he just couldn't bring himself to go see her again. Julia wouldn't recognize him and it killed him inside. "I don't know." He sighed, "what are you going to do when summers over?" A moment of silence passed again before she responded, "I also don't know." He knew he was gonna sound stupid when he asked but it was worth a shot, "You should come back to boulder with me."   
"Oh no, no, nobody would want me there."   
"I'd want you there."  
"Listen, Henry, that's so sweet but I really don't think I should. I think you'd be better off going to Australia and seeing Julia."

He shook that memory out of his thoughts and began the trek back to his truck. He thought back to the wild conspiracy theory that he and Delilah were being stalked and followed around, which turned out to be true. He let out a breath through his nose at that and smiled. 'They were really tracking the Elk, Ned was behind the stalking,' he frowned. 

"Hey Delilah, you might want to sit down for this one."   
"I am sitting down, I've been sitting down. Why? What's up? Did you find something?"  
"Uh yeah. There was a body… Delilah, I found Brian Goodwin's body…"  
"I… What? Fuck… I should've mentioned something. He would still be alive… Jesus…"  
"Delilah, it's not your fault."

Henry spots his truck finally, he put his stuff in the back and sat down inside. Both hands on the wheel he sighs again looking at his ring finger. He drives back to Boulder in silence. The drive felt like forever to him but then again so did this summer, especially the last week or so. The relief he felt when he realized Ned wasn't going to actually blackmail them and just wanted to be left alone after discovering where his dead son was. Henry puts the truck in park, he's finally made it home again. It was quiet. He hated the silence. Ever since Bucket passed, it's been too quiet. The noise the dog made helped him get through the tough days without Julia. He was alone yet again.

The time he spent at Shoshone National Park kept him on his toes, kept him from thinking about her all the time, kept him from drinking his life away and just like that, he began drinking again. It wasn't really a problem honestly, it was just a distraction. He didn't want to watch tv, read, or do anything really. He did the bare minimum around the house being mopey all the time. What else was there to do? He thought about the friendship he's begun with Delilah and the utter betrayal when she left him alone. She didn't want to come back the next year, so should he? What was the point? Who was gonna make the same jokes she did. They could be sarcastic back and forth and neither would be offended. 

He loved her.

Not in a romantic sense, but as a friend, 100%. He kept thinking back to the time she told him to go to Australia to be with Julia and the advice she'd give about the situation. He wanted to talk to her again, at least one more time. He wouldn't get that. She wouldn't let him. She was too distraught about the Brian Goodwin situation to ever want anything to do with the firewatch or him. He wished that he never found that body, it killed her inside and he knew it. Maybe he should've just not said anything at all…

It was Friday and his friends invited him out. He was home for at least 4 months now and finally agreed to go to the bar again, reluctantly agreed to go. 

"Henry, you're awful quiet tonight. How was your vacation? Was it boring?" The group laughed at the little jest made at their friend. "Yup. Completely boring. We had to evac by the end. Totally, boring." The group changed subjects and kept chattering amongst themselves. Henry had his reasons to not go out with them, and this was why. They didn't seem to care about him much, especially when he got depressed over the Julia situation. He knew that their wives would make the 'if you put me in a home like Henry did to his wife, I'll cut your balls off!' Joke fairly often and it got old fast. There was nothing else he could do about it. Julia became too much for him to handle by himself, he made sure she had the best care around. Her family didn't agree with his choices either and when they took her home, he slunk further into his depression.

He got up and headed over to the bar, sitting down next to a brunette woman, she looked at him and gave a small smile, "I thought you wore suits all the time. I also don't see your small mustache or scar along your eye there." Henry gave a look and realization hit him, it's Delilah.  
"What are you doing here?" She lifted her cup to her mouth taking a small sip of her drink, "oh you know, just passing through, visiting old friends."   
"You consider me a friend?"   
"No, but I did feel bad for lying to you and leaving. I couldn't handle it after everything that went down."   
"Yeah." Silence passed over them for a moment. Delilah was the one to break it, "Have you seen her yet?"   
"No. Not yet. I'm still processing everything that happened over the summer."   
"Ah," she looked at his friends and back at him, "Why aren't you with your friends?"   
"They don't really get what I'm going through. They're nice to be around sometimes but, tonight's been rough."  
"You know, you don't really look how I pictured you."  
Henry shook his head at how she could change subjects that quickly, "You as well. I kinda pictured you as…" she gave him a pointed look, "Well, i don't really know actually. It's weird seeing a face with the voice now." She nodded, "Well Henry, you get back to your friends. I'm gonna head back to my hotel and catch some z's." "How long will you be in town?" "Tonight. I've been here a week now." He nodded and she continued, "Do me a favor and take better care of yourself and just go visit her. It's hard but you just need to see her before she's actually gone. The whole thing with Brian made me realize, life's a lot damn shorter than we think it is." "Where are you going after this?" "Me? Back home, I'd say try and get Back to my lover like you but… Well you know the story. I lied and I can't fix it now. At least you can still see your wife." She gave a sad smile. "Goodbye for real this time Henry." She stood up and gave him a pat on the shoulder and walked out the door. 

Maybe it's time I see Julia again.


End file.
